Tag Archives: Shiraz

Persian food with an interesting wine pairing!

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We tried some Persian food at a yummy Persian restaurant called Sheherzade. It is located right at College and Bathurst.

italy syrah persian restaurant

The wine we ordered was called CAVALLINA NERO D’AVOLA. It is from Sicily, Italy.

The varietal or grape this wine is made from is called Nero D’Avola which is similar to Syrah. The grape Nero D’Avola is one of the most important and popular red wine grape varietals in Sicily. This varietal is named after Avola in the far south of Sicily and its wines are compared to Syrah or Shiraz. They usually have sweet tannins and plum or peppery flavours. 

CAVALLINA NERO D'AVOLA

Tasting Note 
This is a dry red wine. It is deep ruby red colour with purple hues. There are intense aromas of blackberry, cherry and vanilla. This is a medium bodied wine with flavours of ripe red fruits. It has a soft and spicy finish. 

Serving Suggestion
A perfect match for pasta bolognese or Persian food! 

marina

Price

This wine is $ 8.20 at the LCBO and we paid around $24 at the restaurant. This wine is a great price for the quality!! I highly recommend it!  

 

 

Shiraz or Syrah?

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Shiraz is Australia’s most popular red grape, and Syrah is France’s most popular grape. But what’s the difference?

syrah_vs_shiraz

As a general rule, most Australian and South African wines are labelled Shiraz, and most European wines (from such regions where varietal labelling is practiced) are labelled Syrah. Sometimes winemakers choose to put either Syrah or Shiraz on the bottle to signify a stylistic difference in the wine they have made.

frequent aromas in shiraz

frequent aromas in shiraz/syrah

“Syrah“-labelled wines are thought to be more similar to classic French reds. Presumably more elegant, lots of tannins, smoke-flavoured and not very fruity.

“Shiraz“-labelled wines, on the other hand, are thought to be more similar to Australian or other New World red wines. Presumably made from riper berries which make them more fruity wines. They can be higher in alcohol, with less tannins, often peppery rather than smokey. These wines are made to drink young, and often taste sweeter.